The present disclosure generally relates to fiber optic cables and methods of manufacturing fiber optic cables.
The science of fiber optics is applicable to various fields of technology and is often used for the transmission of communication signals. Individual optical fibers, which each act as a waveguide for directing light from one end of the fiber to the other, can be bundled together to form a fiber optic cable.
Fiber optic cable can be installed outdoors over long distances, either underground or above ground, and can also be installed within buildings. When installed indoors, fiber optic cable may be run through the plenum spaces of buildings alongside HVAC equipment and other utilities. Fiber optic cable may also be run through riser spaces, such as elevator shafts or other spaces within a building.
When installing indoor-type fiber optic cable, it may be necessary at times to bend the cable around corners or other structures in a building. A bent fiber optic cable may cause the light within its optical fibers to be scattered or lost when the bend radius is too small. The scattering or loss of light is referred to herein as optical attenuation.
Stranding the optical fibers in a fiber optic cable is one way to reduce optical attenuation caused by bending a cable. However, the speed at which a fiber optic cable is manufactured may be limited by the stranding.